Suspect: al-Qaida Financed Attacks

OLIVER TEVES

Published 6:00 pm, Thursday, February 7, 2002

Associated Press Writer

MANILA, Philippines (AP) _ An Indonesian man said he financed bombings that killed 22 people in Manila in December 2000 with money from an Islamic militant group thought linked to Osama bin Laden's terror network, according to affidavits given to prosecutors Friday.

In the sworn statements, Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi, 31, said he joined Jemaah Islamiyah, a Southeast Asian network suspected of links to al-Qaida, while he was a student in Lahore, Pakistan in 1990-1995.

Philippine authorities arrested Al-Ghozi on Jan. 15 in Manila's Quiapo district. His arrest led authorities two days later to more than a ton of explosives and 17 M-16 rifles in southern General Santos city. In the affidavits, al-Ghozi said those explosives were intended for attacks in Singapore.

Al-Ghozi said his role with Jemaah Islamiyah was as an "errand boy, messenger or liaison officer." He said he was sent to Malaysia to meet the local leader of the group, Fais Bin Abu Bakar Bafana.

He said Fais told him to visit the Philippines to "study the place and get contacts."

Al-Ghozi said one of his "contacts," identified only as Muklis, brought him to Camp Abubakar, headquarters of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front, where he spent a month in 1996 studying the Filipino language and weapons training.

The camp has since been overran by the military, and the government has resumed peace talks with the MILF.

"He (Muklis) told me that they have a program that is part of jihad, but they did not have any money and he asked me to help," Al-Ghozi said in his affidavit.

He said he passed on the request to Fais in Malaysia, who agreed to send money. Al-Ghozi said he withdrew $4,850 from a bank account under a different name in November 2000.

Another man in Cebu city helped them buy 154 pounds of explosives, which they brought to Manila by boat.

He said he later learned that the explosives were used in a series of bombings in Manila on Dec. 30, 2000 that killed 22 people.

Al-Ghozi also said the explosives unearthed in the backyard of a house he built in General Santos were bought on Fais' orders "to be used in our struggle against the Singaporean government."

The affidavits were presented by police lawyers to prosecutors who will conduct a preliminary investigation prior to filing of formal charges against Al-Ghozi.

Singapore has arrested 13 militants who allegedly had been plotting to blow up the British, Israeli, Australian and U.S. embassies and other buildings in the wealthy Southeast Asian city-state.

Al-Ghozi, also known as "Mike," has been identified by the 13 detainees as one of the group's ringleaders, Singapore has said.

Philippine National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said reports from Singapore indicate the Jemaah Islamiyah has become "very active" and authorities are looking into the group's links in other Southeast Asian nations.

On Friday, Philippine police arrested a Malaysian travel agent and seized 104 "questionable" Malaysian passports and $57,000 in cash at Manila's international airport.

Azmi bin Salleh was as he prepared to board a flight to Kuwait with a stopover in Bangkok, Aviation Security chief Brig. Gen. Marcelo Ele said.

Ele said bin Salleh also was carrying a map of Afghanistan and a cellphone with bin Laden's name displayed on the screen, but police had no immediate evidence to connect him to the al-Qaida network.